Russia holidays, Footsteps of the Tsars
| country: | Russia |
| departures: | 2010: 15 May, 29 May, 5 Jun, 19 Jun, 17 Jul, 14 Aug, 11 Sep, 9 Oct 2011: 30 Apr, 14 May, 28 May, 11 Jun |
| price: | From £1695 (18 days) excluding flights. We can arrange flights from the UK. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
read 1 travellers review
the amazing things you'll be doing
Discover the treasures of this vast land, following in the footsteps of Russian royalty on this remarkable adventure. From the imperial capital of St Petersburg, we'll cross the country taking in tsarist palaces, ancient kremlins, Siberian hospitality and rural village life. Come face to face with the enigmatic characters of Russia's remarkable history - from Rasputin and the last Romanovs to Catherine the Great and Ivan the Terrible - and enjoy the world's most famous train journey, the Trans-Siberian Railway.
day-by-day itinerary
| Days 1-3: | St Petersburg. Crowded with palaces, museums, bridges, cathedrals and canals, St Petersburg is best explored on foot. |
| Day 4: | Pushkin. Named after Russia's most celebrated poet, Pushkin is home to one of the most opulent imperial residences in the country - the magnificent Catherine Palace. |
| Day 5: | Suzdal. Wander among medieval buildings in one of Russia's oldest cities and enjoy sweeping views of the glittering domes on the horizon. |
| Days 6-7: | Nizhny Novgorod. Wander down the pedestrian streets in this stunning city formally known as "Gorky". |
| Days 8-9: | Kazan. Home to descendants of nomadic tribes and abundant with grand mosques, Kazan, is more reminiscent of Central Asia than Europe. Accompany a local guide to visit the striking Kul Sharif Mosque. |
| Days 10-12: | Yekaterinburg. Best known as the place where the Romanovs met their deaths, Yekaterinburg lies close to the Europe-Asia border. Discover the city's notorious past and visit the Church of the Blood. |
| Days 13-14: | Tobolsk. Once the foremost city in Siberia, Tobolsk still boasts a charming town centre full of weatherworn cottages. See the kremlin and the Office of Tsar Nicholas II. Visit Pokrovskoye and discover the boom and bustle of Tyumen before jumping onboard a railway icon. |
| Day 15: | Trans-Siberian Railway. Travel through dense forests, quaint Siberian villages and industrious Soviet hubs aboard one of the world's great train journeys. |
| Days 16-18: | Moscow. Much of the country's history emerged in this bustling capital and historic sites such as the Kremlin and Red Square are reason alone for a visit. |
travellers' tales
Most memorable was exploring Red Square - wandering over to Saint Basil's cathedral soon after arriving in Russia and hearing the music drifting over the square from a nearby church. (more)
small group adventure holiday
This is a 'small group adventure' - on our group trips you'll be with a maximum of 11 like minded travellers and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting people from other parts of the world as well as seeing new places! (more) how this holiday makes a difference
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This trip will take you across Russia tracing its often tragic history and taking you to places less traveled by the majority of visitors to the country.
In Kazan you'll get to see a different side of Russia - this is the capital of Tatarstan and exploring the city on foot with a local guide will give you an interesting insight into the Muslim Tatar culture as you visit mosques and try the traditional sweets like "chak chak" from market stalls. Travelling from place to place we will be using public transport, be it local trains and buses to small out of the way towns to overnight train journeys to cover the big distances of this immense nation. Using public transport is fantastic opportunity to interact with local people traveling the same route. The accommodation used on this trip varies but will really give you a true experience of the local culture. In St Petersburg we stay in a small locally owned guesthouse, while in Suzdal we rent a traditional wooden country house from Lena, our local friend who may even come around in the morning to prepare a pancake breakfast! Travellers also have the chance to stay with a Siberian family in a small village between Tobolsk and Tyumen for the night where you'll no doubt be touched by the warmth and hardiness of the villagers. At the conclusion of the trip travellers are encouraged to donate toiletries and unwanted clothes to Nochlezhka in St Petersburg, one of the community projects we support. Nochlezhka is an NGO looking after the needs of the city's many homeless people. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |